


Trying Something New

by ThePerk42



Series: The Golden Spiral Universe [2]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Nervous Katniss, Peeta will never finish the oven in the backyard, trying new things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23497933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePerk42/pseuds/ThePerk42
Summary: During a phone call with Johanna, Katniss is given a bit of encouragement and guidance on how to spice up her and Peeta’s sex life. After all, they’ve been married for a while, and it’s time to try something new!
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: The Golden Spiral Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690738
Comments: 5
Kudos: 92
Collections: Crumbs





	Trying Something New

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a current “challenge” that I have seen going around the internet wherein people film their partner’s reactions when they show up naked while their partner is gaming. I thought many of the reactions were really sweet and wanted to see how this might play out for Katniss and Peeta.
> 
> This takes place within my “Golden Spiral” universe, but is told independent of that story - no need to read Golden Spiral to enjoy this little ditty.

I can’t believe that I’m going to do this. I’m considering stopping before I’ve even begun, standing in the bedroom that I share with Peeta, staring out the window. I’m not really looking at anything in particular, but rather trying to talk myself into, or maybe out of, my plan. I’ve just gotten off of the phone with Johanna, who is never a particularly friendly person to chat with, but we do still talk occasionally to keep from going even more insane, I guess. Peeta and I have been married for a few years, and she always likes to poke and prod at our relationship to determine if things are going off the rails. I don’t think she has any interest in either Peeta or myself, but Johanna likes to know the gossip and this is one of the few sources of gossip that is left. Every time we talk, I tell her everything is fine, and I’m sure Peeta says the same to her (if she even asks), but she still always seems to expect some earth-shattering news. Today, however, I may have opened up to her a bit more than usual. And I may be regretting it.

* * *

Just thirty minutes ago, sitting in the small alcove on the ground level, I leaned back against the wall and listened to Johanna talk about how good the sex is with her boyfriend. She likes to shock me by telling me about the unexpected ways that they make love, and today wasn’t any different. “Wait a minute,” I asked her, looking over my shoulder for a moment to make sure Peeta wasn’t in ear shot. Last I left him, he was in the backyard trying to get his brick oven set up properly. He’s been working on it forever and it still isn’t operable, so I was sure that he would still be outside for at least another hour before he gave up for the day. Once I knew for sure Peeta wasn’t nearby, I asked my question. “Are you saying that you _let_ him tie you to the bed?”

Johanna laughed at me, like I was an idiot for asking. “Exactly!”

I was confused. Johanna spent months in captivity, just like Peeta. Peeta still can’t stand the feeling of being restricted by anything – small spaces and tight blankets cause him remarkable amount of distress. So I was confused as to why Johanna would find sexual pleasure in the experience, but I wasn’t sure how to ask the question in a way that wouldn’t upset her…or me. “But…you were…like Peeta?” I finally asked - making sense to no-one, I’m sure.

“Yeah, I know,” she sighed. “I can’t explain it. It doesn’t work every time. But if it’s someone…I trust.” She paused for a moment. “If I can trust someone, it’s hot,”she finally said, abruptly.

I didn’t know what to say or how to respond. Tying each other to the bed was not something that I ever wanted to try with Peeta. It didn’t stir anything in me other than fear and discomfort. But I was happy that Johanna had found something that elicited excitement for her an her partner. I wasn’t sure how to put that into words without sounding overly sappy, which is just awkward when you’re talking about your friend’s intimate experiences with their partner. In the end, I chose not to say anything.

“What’s the most exciting thing you and Mellark have done?” Johanna asked casually, like she didn’t care. But I knew she cared by the way she drew out the question slowly, cautiously. She didn’t want to frighten me away from the conversation.

I had to think for a moment. “I don’t know,” I finally told her. Peeta always seemed to enjoy making love to me, and I generally found the experience to be pleasurable as well. But exciting…it wasn’t a word that came to mind often when I thought about being intimate with my husband.

“It’s probably because you’re married. Don’t have to work hard to keep him anymore, yeah?”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stayed silent (again).

“Here’s something I did early on. It’s so fucking easy, even you can do it and make it hot,” Johanna told me. I squinted at the insult but waited for her to finish. “You wait until Peeta’s doing something he’s really focused on. Like, I don’t know – baking? Let him get really into it, and then you get naked and walk up to him.”

“What?” I couldn’t help the splutter or shock in my voice. “Like…in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, wherever he is. You just go in, and say something like ‘hi, Peeta,’ and then let him look at you and see the goods in a whole new light.” Her voice got high and simpering when she was pretending to me. I had to work not to be offended by her imitation.

“You did this?” I asked her.

“Yeah, worked like a fucking charm.”

“I don’t know…” I thought aloud. “What if someone knocks on the door? Or sees through the window? I would be mortified. And how will Peeta react? He’ll probably think I’m crazy for showing up naked for no reason.”

“Stop, stop, stop,” Johanna said. “You can’t think too much about these things. Just do it. Peeta’s gonna love it. And who’s gonna see? You live out in the middle of no-where.”

“Haymitch could see,” I murmured.

“Screw Haymitch. If he’s your only concern, you’re fine. Just do it! Hang up the phone and go do it now before you lose your nerve. I swear, Mellark’s gonna swoon for you.”

“Swoon?”

“Jesus, just go and get naked! You can tell me how well it went next time we talk.” And then, she hung up the phone.

* * *

So that’s why I find myself in our bedroom now, staring out the window, completely undressed, questioning my own sanity. Peeta is still outside, I can hear the bricks clonking together as he moves them around to get the right shape of the oven. He will be dirty and sweaty – even though it’s early in the day and not too hot, Peeta never does anything in half measures, so he will have been working hard for the last hour. I shake my head – this is silly. I’ll just embarrass Peeta and, worse, embarrass myself. But then I imagine Johanna teasing me for not even trying, for being a prude. I have to do it at least once, if only to tell her how awful her idea was. So I grab the throw off of the end of the bed and wrap it around myself, just for the walk downstairs because it feels so strange to imagine walking through my entire house stark naked.

Every sense seems to be heightened. I can hear birds outside, Peeta swearing when something doesn’t go his way, Haymitch’s geese honking. The grain of the wooden floor beneath my feet feels deeper than usual and the cotton fabric of the blanket around my shoulders is cool in the gentle morning warmth of summer. My heart is beating loudly – is it always this loud? And my stomach seems to be doing somersaults in my abdomen. I haven’t felt this way around Peeta in years. I am such a fool! But I’m already down the stairs and almost out the back door. Too far along now to chicken out. So I take off the blanket and fold it, setting it softly on the counter. I open the back door and watch Peeta, his back to me, bent over the side of his oven so that he can work on the interior.

“Peeta?” I call, trying not to sound as breathy as Johanna’s earlier imitation of me. He doesn’t respond at first, wrapped up in his work. I knew this was a bad idea. I’ll try one more time, and if he doesn’t turn around, I’ll know it’s a sign. “Peeta?”

He straightens this time. “Yes?” he asks, as he is turning. It takes him a moment, I think, to realize what he’s looking at. At first, his face looks normal – focused on the task at hand and semi-serious, but always kind. In a few seconds, which feel like hours to me, though, his face changes. It goes through a quick succession of emotions. Surprise, shock, joy, and finally, arousal. He drops the tool that was in his hand and strides towards the porch in only a few, large steps. “Is it my birthday?” he asks, voice sounding awe-struck. He knows it’s not his birthday and I laugh nervously, unable to respond as he wraps his arms around my waist, buries his nose in my hair. His hands smooth up and down my skin and he leans back to kiss me. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he finally asks, looking me up and down. He certainly doesn’t think I’m crazy.

“I just thought I’d try something new,” I shrug. “What do you think?”

“I think,” he says, picking me up and carrying me into the kitchen, “I like your adventurous side, Mrs. Mellark.”


End file.
